Castles In The Air
by dustytiger
Summary: Reid goes to London to surprise Prentiss, but it's him who's in for the surprise (the kind which grows for forty weeks). Multi-chapter, Prentiss/Reid, mostly fluff with some tension.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Castles In The Air  
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)  
Disclaimer: I'm still an uber poor barista, I borrowed these characters from their creator, networks, writers, actors and actresses who make them come to life. I will return them unharmed and will remain just a skint a result.  
Summary: Reid goes to London to surprise Prentiss, but it's him who's in for the surprise (the kind which grows for forty weeks).  
Notes: It's been way too long since I've posted a CM fic. I found this on my hard drive a few weeks ago and it's been nagging me to be finished. After a rough ride with my last fic, I'm hoping for some fuzzies with this one. I'm super nervous about posting this as it was started before I took sick (a year and half ago now) and was complete well in the past month or so. I feel like the voice I write in has changed, so I'm super sorry if it's inconsistent. The title comes from a Don McLean song.

* * *

Spencer Reid was nervous and excited as he stood in the hallway, waiting to knock on the door. He had had to do a lot of planning to get to this moment, but he knew it would be worth it when he saw her face. It had been seven months since she had moved, and he missed her more than he thought he could miss anyone. He hadn't wanted her to leave, but he knew that trying to talk her into staying would only strain their relationship further. He had tried to stay away but he couldn't do it anymore. He finally talked to his co-worker, Penelope Garcia and together they'd hatched a plan. After weeks of planning he was where he knew he needed to be.

The door finally opened, and his face lit up when he saw her. He noticed right away that her face was rounder and his eyes began to wonder down her body to examine what else had swelled since he had last seen her. Her breasts seemed larger, and a moment later he discovered why. Her middle had an unmistakeable shape to it; Emily Prentiss was pregnant.

"Spencer," she whispered shocked, seeing Reid standing at her door with her favourite flowers in his hands.

"Emily?" he mumbled, uncertainly. "This may have been a mistake." He turned to leave.

"Please don't go. Come in."

Despite how he felt his feet complied with the invitation and he soon he was inside. He wasn't sure what to say or do next. He simply stared at her belly, wondering if what he believed was actual fact; had she left to hide her pregnancy? Reid was far from an expert on the subject of women nor how pregnancy evolved but he was sure that she was closer to the end of process. He did know exactly how babies were made and that he had been the man who had done that with her during the time she would have conceived.

"I'm sorry," she told him.

"You're sorry?" he asked. "You left because of… this?" he pointed to her swollen stomach. "Is it mine?"

"How dare you ask me that!?"

"I don't want to believe that you are a cheater Emily, but you told me multiple times you loved me and when you care for a person you don't run away when you find out you are pregnant."

"Spencer you made it quite clear you never wanted to be a father."

"Yes, I told you I had never thought I would become a father and that I didn't want to seek out becoming a parent because of my mother's condition, but that wasn't an invitation to force me to do to a child what my father did to me."

"Don't accuse me of that! Your father chose to leave when you were a child. This is different. This child's mother simply chose to go it alone."

"When she didn't have to!" he snapped. "You didn't give me a choice. You simply assumed I wouldn't want to be a parent."

"You told me that you didn't!"

"You asked me in the abstract. Had I known you were actually pregnant I never would have let you leave."

"Since when did you become so macho?"

"It has nothing to do with that Emily. I vowed that even though I would not seek out becoming a parent I would not run from it. If it ever happened I wouldn't be my father. I told you I would never want to try to start a family, but I know that nothing is foolproof. All forms of birth control short of abstinence have various statistical failures. Statistically speaking I knew that being in a relationship with you for any length of time could possibly end in pregnancy, I can show you the math, and when that happened I would find a way to overcome my fears, but you never gave me that opportunity. You discovered you were pregnant and you took the first offer you got to get as far away from me as possible. You never gave me the benefit of the doubt nor the chance to show you I could figure out how to navigate this new reality."

"Spencer I…" she tried to explain but couldn't find the words. "I should have told you, but I wanted this so much."

"You didn't have to do it alone."

"What do we do now?"

"I think we both have a lot to work through before we can decide," he told her with a sigh.

"For what it's worth I am sorry for how I treated you. I shouldn't have run away from you like that, but I was so scared."

"Of what?"

"That you would force me to do something I didn't want to do. I let someone talk me into doing what we thought was the right thing before," she explained, pain her voice.

"Are you talking about aborting a pregnancy? I'd never ask you to do that. There are many valid reasons to abort a pregnancy but none of those reasons would have been valid for us. I would never think that the possibility of a genetic disorder would be enough reason to ask a woman I loved to abort a pregnancy. It would have been a challenge but we would have made it work."

"Stop talking like it's not possible to make it happen now."

"Emily you have a life here now, and I can't be any further from my mom than I already am. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh but no matter how much I may love you I am the only family my mother has. She needs me, at the very least, to be in the country. I want to be in my child's life but you've made it difficult for that to be in a traditional way. I can't ask you to come home and give up your career for me."

"It wouldn't be for you I'd be giving it up."

"Is that what you want?"

"I would like the baby to have a family."

"I want to be there for the baby Emily but that doesn't mean that I forgive you for not telling me. Had I not come to surprise you like this there's no telling how much of our child's life I would have missed and that's not easy for me to move past."

"I know it won't be, and none of my reasons seem like valid excuses any more. I know I should have told you, but I was scared."

"You had every right to be scared, a baby changes everything in a person's life. Did I do something to make you believe I wouldn't take responsibility? Did I mistreat you? I told you from the beginning that I was not experienced in relationships, was there something more I could have done to reassure you?"

She reached out and touched his cheek. "It wasn't you," she assured him. "I got scared. I know logically that I shouldn't have but I was. Then when I got here the longer I stayed the harder it became to find a way to tell you. I told you I wasn't good with relationships and commitment. Finding out about the baby made all those things come to a head and when I was offered the job I jumped on it and tried to ignore the truth. When my new coworkers called me out on it I told them that you told me you didn't want the baby and any time I would tell them I was going to tell you they talked me out of it. I guess I started to believe me own lie."

"I'm not sure if that helps matters," he sighed. "I should probably go I have a lot to think about right now."

"I'd like you to stay here you're welcome as long as you'd like. I have a spare room, and there's a library about three blocks away."

"Thank you, I have a lot of pregnancy and parenting research to do."

"Parenting isn't something you can learn from books."

"For my own peace of mind I need to do research. I don't have a lot of experience with children."

"I think you are more ready than you give yourself credit for, and I'm sorry I didn't see that sooner."

"I am too Emily. Do you mind showing me to my room? I would like to be alone."

She nodded and showed him to the guest bedroom. He went inside and sat down at the small desk, putting his head in his hands. Prentiss closed the door, her heart breaking seeing him like this knowing it was her fault. Reid sat there for several long minutes before he decided what he should do. He found some paper and a pen and began to write a letter to his mother hoping it would help him collect his thoughts.

Notes: Well that was the start. There will be a few cliffies of course, but I still update daily so that should help with that. Let me now what you're thinking heart. So happy to be writing these two again oh so much heart for them.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Castles In The Air  
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)  
Disclaimer: I'm still an uber poor barista, I borrowed these characters from their creator, networks, writers, actors and actresses who make them come to life. I will return them unharmed and will remain just a skint a result.  
Summary: Reid goes to London to surprise Prentiss, but it's him who's in for the surprise (the kind which grows for forty weeks).  
Notes: The next few parts deal with how Reid is dealing with the news and how they move forward. Thank you for support guys, seeing some familiar names heart and new ones too yay! This one and the next one was one part but it was super long so I split it up, sorry if it's too much.

* * *

Reid didn't come out of the room for the rest of the evening. When Prentiss went in to check on him she found him asleep on the bed, still fully clothed. She was going to offer him dinner but decided to let him sleep. She left a note on the night stand telling him where to find the leftovers when he woke up. She watched him for a moment wishing she could just slip into the bed next to him and drift to sleep. She sighed softly and put her hand on her belly as she left the room. The moment she closed the door the baby started to kick up a storm. She sighed softly, and wondered if he could sense his father was close and didn't want to lose him again.

"Don't worry sweetheart," she whispered, her hand on her belly. "I'll figure out a way to make sure you have him in your life."

She went into the kitchen and prepared her dinner plate, leaving the rest to cool a little before she put it in the fridge for Reid. She knew she should be used to eating alone, but it felt strange knowing that someone was so close she hardly ate but drank two glasses of milk before curling up to read. The baby didn't want to settle down and she began to pace the apartment in hopes to get a good night sleep. She was exhausted and went into her room. She sighed softly as she laid down, the baby once again began to kick. She was sure she would have been able to see feet on her belly had the lights been on. After half an hour she finally fell into a restless sleep.

Meanwhile in his room Reid had woken up feeling disoriented. It took him a few minutes to realise that he was in Prentiss' guest bedroom. A pang of longing came over him realising she was so close, but he then remembered the secret she'd been hiding and knew he was better off there. This was not how he had expected to spend his vacation time. He had wanted to figure out once and for all if he had a future with the woman and now he had his answer; he would be forever linked to her and didn't know how involved he would be in their lives.

He rolled over to go back to sleep but his stomach growled in protest. He groaned and stood up, stretching out. He then saw the note on the side table. He read it quickly and went into the kitchen. He warmed up the leftovers and quickly finished his plate, realising he hadn't eaten anything since he had been on the plane, and even then it hadn't been very satisfying. When he was done he cleaned up after himself and looked around the flat.

He was surprised by how many pictures she had up, she hadn't had any in her old apartment. There were pictures of everyone on the team, and a surprising amount that had him in them. There was one of the two of them together, which he didn't even remember having been taken, they were clearly at work his hair was long, and the two of them were smiling. There was one of him with Henry at the zoo, he smiled, that was the same picture he kept on his nightstand at home. Emily had taken it and it was one of his favourites, it always brought him back to that day, when everything seemed to be going right for them. He sighed softly and wondered if she had known while she gushed about how great he was with Henry that she had been pregnant; a week later she was gone and nothing would be the same again.

He stopped when he saw the black and white sonogram pictures in a frame. He picked it up, trying see what he could learn from the picture. He hadn't seen many of them, and before they had looked as foreign as ink blots, but this one was different, this one was the first pictures of Prentiss' baby, his baby. He stared at it realising that soon that image would become an actual baby. Only then did he realise he would have to go home about the time the baby was born. Prentiss couldn't travel, and he wouldn't be able to stay. He had finally learned the truth about why she had left and now he couldn't even stay to prove to her he would not leave his child. He fell onto the couch, tears stinging his eyes.

He was partly sad but mostly he was angry. He had promised himself that he would never abandon his child, that if he ever had a family he would do everything he could not to miss anything important in his children's lives, and because of the situation he was going to be forced to do just that. While there was still a lot he needed to learn he knew that babies grew fastest in the first few months of life, and he had no idea when he might be able to come back to see the baby. He knew there was ways of using computers to see people but that wouldn't be the same as being there, holding his child, caring for it and showing it how much he loved it. He heard rustling behind him and looked up, his eyes red from tears.

"Spencer," Emily whispered. "What's wrong?"

"Do you realise it is going to be impossible for me to witness the first weeks of my child's life?" he asked. "That's if you happen to go into labour while I am here. I might miss the first most important moment of his life!"

"We'll find a way to make sure that you don't miss any more than you have to."

"I shouldn't have to miss any of it! You should never have left. You should have told me sooner so we could figure all of it out, clearly you were thinking about it too and you didn't do anything about it."

"What are you talking about? I couldn't tell you over the phone."

"There are other ways Emily and I wouldn't have cared how you told me so long as you told me a letter would have done fine. I know you wanted to tell me because you don't have anything here."

"Don't profile me!"

"How can I not? This sonogram picture has the date and stage of the pregnancy. Emily I may not know a lot about pregnancy but I do know how long it lasts. You are due in about three weeks and you have nothing here for the baby. By the time JJ has passed her second trimester everything was ready for Henry but your spare bedroom, which I assume you plan on using for the baby is still fully set up as a guest room. Babies have a tendency of showing up early, and you don't even have the basics here, and it's not like you have a partner here who can get those things while you are in the hospital! What the hell gives? You tell me that you were ready to do this alone, but you're not at all prepared."

"Spencer I…"

"Do you want to keep the baby?"

"Of course I do how can you ask me that?"

"How can I not? Emily explain this to me I don't understand. You say you want this but you keep it from me. You tell me you planned on going it alone and the only things which indicate your pregnancy is the fact that you are so far along and these sonogram pictures. What was your plan?"

"I don't know Spencer!"

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I just don't, or at least I didn't until-"

"I can't do this right now!"

He stood up and stormed out of the flat not believing what he had just heard. He had never been so angry or hurt in his life. Not only had she not told him about the pregnancy now he was sure she'd been lying to him about the reasons she kept this from him. He needed to clear his mind before he did something he would regret. He walked around the block a few times wishing something would be open but not wanting to go too far from her either.

Notes: All right that was that part, I promise it starts getting better soon. Let me know what you think heart.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Castles In The Air  
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)  
Disclaimer: I'm still an uber poor barista, I borrowed these characters from their creator, networks, writers, actors and actresses who make them come to life. I will return them unharmed and will remain just a skint a result.  
Summary: Reid goes to London to surprise Prentiss, but it's him who's in for the surprise (the kind which grows for forty weeks).  
Notes: Still dealing with Peentiss' choice about keeping quiet about her soon to be baby genius. Thanks for trusting where I'm going with this one guys. Heart means sooooo much to me.

* * *

Prentiss hadn't tried to stop him, she fell onto her couch with a loud sigh; knowing she should have done a lot of things differently. She knew that she had hurt Reid, and she hated that she had caused him so much pain. The baby was kicking again, she groaned slightly just wanting a moment of rest. There were tears falling down her cheeks, and all she wanted was for Reid to comfort her, as well as to let him feel the baby growing inside of her.

After seeing the way Reid reacted to everything she realised how wrong she was in assuming he wouldn't want anything to do with the baby. But he had been right she wasn't ready to bring the baby home, because this wasn't the home she wanted to bring him to; she wanted his home to be with Reid in his book filled apartment. Although she wasn't sure she would ever make Reid believe that after so much time keeping the truth from him. She realised how foolish it was to think that she would go back to Virginia after the baby was born and introduce him to his family and expect them, Reid especially, to welcome them with open arms.

She knew more about Reid's childhood than anyone else. He talked to her on many occasions about how hard it was to grow up without his father there. He always told her he couldn't understand how a parent could leave their child, and realised that she already knew the answer to her fears long before she had even seen the positive pregnancy test all those weeks ago. She hoped that somehow she could make it up to Reid. She would be willing to pay for him to stay until they could go back to the states together, but she wasn't sure that would help, nor did she know if he could even take so much time off. She knew she should have gone home sooner and now it was far too late to travel safely.

She was going to make Reid miss the first weeks of his child's life; only now did she realised that was his biggest fear and that was why he was so hurt. Although he had told her that he didn't think he wanted children, he would always add that he didn't want to be his father. She was the one who had made the choice for him, and that's why he hurt so much. She knew he didn't have anywhere else to go in London and hoped that when he came back they could try to talk.

After what felt like hours there was a soft knock at the door and she opened it. She saw there were still tears in his eyes. She reached out to wipe them away, but he recoiled away. She wanted to reassure him but she knew he wasn't ready for that yet. She was the reason he was hurt, and there was no way to make things better in that moment. She put her hand on her stomach again, without even thinking about it.

"Spencer," she whispered.

"Emily I don't think I can do this I'm too emotionally drained right now," he told her.

"I need to tell you before I don't. I was waiting for him to be born to find out when I could go back home. It was stupid of me to think for even a moment that the only way you would want this was for me to come back with him."

"Him?"

"Yes, him, we're having a boy. It's too late to change that now and I'm sorry that I have made you miss so much." She paused for a moment. "I grouped you in with a lot of men who you're nothing like and I will spend the rest of my life trying to find a way to make that up to you, if you'll let me."

He nodded. "I don't want to hold this against you forever, but you've hurt me more than anyone else I've known. That being said you are going to give me the chance to do something I never thought I would have the opportunity to do. I want to move forward from here."

"I want that too." She took his hand and placed it on her belly. "I should have let you feel him growing from the start. He's so strong now. There's a good chance I'll go into labour while you're here."

He nodded. "Then I'll have to leave him."

"I'm so sorry Spencer but it will only be a few weeks and we can use video chats so you can see him. I know it's not the same but it's something"

"His health and yours come first."

"Thank you for understanding. I don't know how but I promise I'll make all of this up to you."

He yawned. "Can we continue this tomorrow?"

She nodded. "Sure."

He leaned in and kissed her cheek softly, reassuring her that something had moved forward but that he wasn't ready to go full speed again. She watched him go back toward the spare bedroom, while she sat on the couch for a while longer, until the baby began to settle and she knew she should also get some rest while she could. She went down the hall and paused in front of the spare room. Reid was curled up under the blankets, but she wondered if he was in fact asleep.

She went into her own room feeling like he was a world away when he was just down the hall. She laid down and waited for the baby to start kicking, but it didn't start. She let herself drift off to sleep, in what ended up being a somewhat restful sleep. Her mind was still reeling and her dreams ended up being filled with various scenarios about going home and how he and their entire extended family might react to what had happened. She knew they would be hurt that she had kept not only her relationship but the baby a secret from them for so long. She hoped somehow that they would all remain close once she came home.

Notes: So that was that, let me know what you think heart.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Castles In The Air  
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)  
Disclaimer: I'm still an uber poor barista, I borrowed these characters from their creator, networks, writers, actors and actresses who make them come to life. I will return them unharmed and will remain just a skint a result.  
Summary: Reid goes to London to surprise Prentiss, but it's him who's in for the surprise (the kind which grows for forty weeks).  
Notes: Things are moving along with Reid and Prentiss. This fic is gonna be 13 parts. I know that the idea of Prentiss keeping a baby from Reid is pretty intense, thanks for letting me know what you're thinking. Glad it seems to be enjoyable folks.

* * *

Reid had been in London for just over a week now. He had been spending most of his time reading as many books about babies as he could get his hands on. Prentiss had been trying to explain to him her decision and somehow get their relationship back on track. She hated that he was under the same roof but in separate bedrooms, even if she understood why it was best that. They were both sitting in the living room reading books on opposite chairs.

"Emily did you know that a lot of women start to have sexual fantasies at this point in their pregnancy?" Reid asked.

"Unless you were planning on fulfilling a few of those you should probably not tell me that," she grumbled.

"Emily I'm still not entirely comfortable with the thought of the baby kicking, let alone knowing it's there while I was with you."

"Maybe it will be different knowing it's our baby?" she suggested.

"I suppose it's possible."

He walked across to sit on the couch she was already sitting on. She took his hand and placed it on her belly. Reid stared at her uncertainly, flinching when he felt something move but she kept her hands on his so he couldn't recoil away. There was something almost electric about getting to feel him again, especially like this. She didn't think she would ever see his long fingers splayed across swollen stomach, and she couldn't be happier that she had.

"See that's not so bad. That's our son," she explained, running her other hand across his cheek like she had done so many times before when he was nervous about something new.

His eyes slipped shut and a moment later his lips were brushing against her, as if by memory. Prentiss tensed for a moment before allowing herself to surrender to the embrace. She had forgotten just how tender Reid's kissed were, he was so gentle but he knew exactly what he was doing. A powerful kick from within her brought them both crashing back to reality.

"Emily... I," stammered Reid.

"I understand," she assured him sorrow in her voice.

"I want to be but it feels wrong while I'm still upset about what happened."

"I don't know how many other ways I can apologise. At some point you are going to have to accept what happened and move forward."

"It isn't that easy Emily."

"Yes, it is. I know that I betrayed your trust and if I could do it all over again I would be honest from the beginning, but that's not an option. So we have two choices we move forward together or you leave and let me do this my way all the way."

"I can't let you do that Emily, not now that I know the truth."

"Then we need to move forward. There is no reason why we should be in different beds."

"How do you know I still want that?"

"Spencer the way you kissed me just now is not the way you kiss a person you don't have feelings for, even if you didn't mean to."

"Emily you know I can't stop loving you."

She gasped. "Spencer…"

"If I had I never would have come here. But we can't pretend like things are back to how they were." There were tears in his eyes.

"I know, I know," she assured him.

"I don't know what I am supposed to do here Emily. You left me twice now and I've let you back in. Most would see my behaviour as foolish; especially since all I want to do is pull you into your bedroom and see if the information I was reading about sex during pregnancy is true."

"Neither of us is ready for that. But I understand what you're saying. Spencer I promise you if I run away again… I'll leave the baby too."

He gasped. "Emily, I can't…"

"No don't argue with me, it's the only way to show you how serious I am about this commitment. There are no more skeletons in my past. If I run away again I will lose you and our son."

"I don't know what to say…"

She kissed his cheek. "I am sorry Spencer."

"I – I love you Emily so much so it terrifies me."

"This scares me too Spencer. That's why I keep running away."

"I don't understand."

"Every time I've ever felt like this about someone in the past he's left me."

He ran his fingers along her cheek. "Emily if I were foolish enough to leave you I would never again find anyone who understands me like you do. I'm not going anywhere." He stood up and went into his messenger bag and took something out of it. "I hope this will prove that to you."

He handed her a small box. She opened it and her jaw dropped as she stared at the white gold ring with a colour shifting amethyst set in it. She couldn't believe he had found such a unique piece, something she would have chosen for herself.

"Spencer," she gasped. "Is this-?"

He nodded. "This isn't how I planned for this to go, but it is why I came here. I do want you to have it even if things are not ideal between us right now. I need you to know I do want to marry you."

"I want that too."

He kissed her softly then placed the ring on finger. "I am committed to you Emily and I hope this will make you stop doubting that."

She nodded and curled up to him. He wrapped his arms around her, as she began to cry. He couldn't do anything more and when her tears subsided he realised she had fallen asleep. He didn't want to disturb her knowing she needed all the rest she could get. It didn't take long for him to succumb to his own jet leg. He had always felt most at ease when she was close, and knew he would finally get some quality sleep even if it was only a short nap.

Notes: So things are moving forward, yay! I hope that they are seem a little crotchety in this one guys. Gosh it's nice to be writing CM again. There's a few other fics sitting on my harddrive, but my muse isn't whispering to me yet.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Castles In The Air  
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)  
Disclaimer: I'm still an uber poor barista, I borrowed these characters from their creator, networks, writers, actors and actresses who make them come to life. I will return them unharmed and will remain just a skint a result.  
Summary: Reid goes to London to surprise Prentiss, but it's him who's in for the surprise (the kind which grows for forty weeks).  
Notes: Things continue to move forward they still have some talking to do before everything changes for them. Thanks as always for the support guys it really does mean a lot to me that you take the time to let me know you're liking what I'm writing.

* * *

Reid had come in from the library. He looked around the flat for Prentiss, and found her having a nap. He decided to make them dinner. He went into the kitchen and looked to see what she had, before long he started putting ingredients together and popping a quick meal into the oven. He turned around and smiled when he saw her standing behind him.

"Sorry if I was too loud," he told her.

"It's fine, he started kicking and that woke me up. Thank you for making dinner. I've been exhausted lately."

"It's normal at this stage in your pregnancy. I hope you'll like it," he replied. "Emily I think we need to talk."

"About what?"

"My vacation can't last until it will be safe for the baby to fly. I want to be there for you, and for the baby when he's born but I'm not sure I can explain to Hotch why I would I need an extended leave of absence in London."

She sighed. "And I want to tell them in person about this."

"I know and I understand that, but that means I am at an impasse. I want to be there for you and our baby every step of the way but I am not sure how I can do that. If I stay here too long I won't be able to pay for my mom's care. I also made plans to see her after I flew home, I don't want to worry her by telling her I won't be going."

"I understand Spencer, and I'm sorry. You won't be leaving us if it's only for the time it takes for us to be able to fly home to you."

"That may be six weeks. That's a long time in a newborn's development."

She ran her fingers across his cheeks. "I should have done more research I should have done so many things differently. Spencer I'm sorry that I've made you miss so much."

"I know you had your reasons please stop, this stress could be unhealthy for him."

"Why are you so sweet, and kind and caring Spencer?" He looked at her perplexed and she could only smile at him and kiss his cheek softly. "I hope our little boy is just like you."

He shook his head. "Don't wish that on him."

"Don't say that I'd be happy if he was like you Spencer."

He sighed softly, and lead her to the couch so they could sit down again. "Have you thought of any names?"

"I wanted to name him after his father."

"I've never understood that custom I don't want him to have my name. I also think we should hyphenate our names."

"All right, have you thought of any names?"

He shrugged. "I thought we might name him for your father, I know he was important to you."

"I wouldn't want him to go by Jamie if I named him James and I don't want to be that mother. Maybe something that is English instead of American?"

"There's a name I've always liked but it's of Scottish origin."

"I want to hear it since I had it in my head to name him after you."

"Ewan."

She smiled. "Ewan, I like it. I think our son might have a name."

He grinned. "Wow I helped to pick his name."

She kissed his cheek softly. "I'm happy you did. Spencer what am I smelling, what did you make?"

"It's not much really, I made toad in a hole."

She laughed. "I had no idea you knew how to make Yorkshire pudding. I haven't been able to make it right though and it's been my biggest craving."

"It was my favourite food when I was growing up. It made sense for me to learn how to make it when my mom was sick. The trick is to beat it for long enough so it'll rise."

"I'll remember that, but I might just leave it to you to make it."

"Of course I expect that you'll want to work after Ewan is born so we'll share household duties."

She smiled, at him, of course he had thought about that already. It was just like him to be prepared and planning ahead. She wasn't sure herself what she wanted to do after the baby was born. She'd known for a while she would return to the US but she'd planned nothing after that. She knew she would be able to have her old job back, but she wasn't sure she'd want to travel anymore. She also knew that she had trusts she had never touched that would keep her and her small family living comfortably if that's what she wanted; but she didn't know what it was she would want once she returned home.

"I haven't decided yet. Interpol knows I won't be coming back after he's born. When my mom find out about him she'll make it so I won't have to work if I don't want to, but I don't know that I want that. I honestly don't know what I want Spencer," she explained.

"You know I'll support whatever you choose."

"I know you will and thank you for that. I want to see how things go with Ewan. I might like just being his mom. I've always wanted to have a baby and I'd like to focus on that for a little while anyway."

"All right, and it's not like you need to decide now what you want to do."

"Other than coming home," she told him smiling. "I should have done it sooner but we can't change that now."

"I know Emily, I might not understand why you chose what you did, but I want to focus on the future for now."

"I want that too." Her stomach began to growl.

He laughed. "That should be almost ready, how about we eat?"

She nodded and the two of them moved into the kitchen. He took their dinner from the oven. He brought them each a plate and put some gravy out on the table. He poured some over his dinner, but she began to eat her own as it was. They talked mostly about the baby for the rest of the meal. After they had finished eating, they went to watch a movie, but both fell asleep. She hadn't been asleep long when she woke up in pain, she went to bathroom and realised that this wasn't normal pain.

"Spencer," she gasped. "Wake up, it's time."

He didn't skip a beat, as he took her bag as they left the flat. He had already mapped out the best route to the hospital. While they were both happy he was going to be getting to see this, they were also nervous about the baby coming early and how it might affect his health. She was nervously excited as they went toward the hospital, amazed by how calm he was and hoped he would continue to be so supportive.

Notes: I figured I couldn't let him miss that... Let me know what you think heart.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Castles In The Air  
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)  
Disclaimer: I'm still an uber poor barista, I borrowed these characters from their creator, networks, writers, actors and actresses who make them come to life. I will return them unharmed and will remain just a skint a result.  
Summary: Reid goes to London to surprise Prentiss, but it's him who's in for the surprise (the kind which grows for forty weeks).  
Notes: All right baby time, I'm not sure that I ever actually gave the time frame of the pregnancy. I've had it in my head he'd be about 2-3 weeks early so nothing too serious complications wise. Sorry this is kinda late, ff was down seems to be back up. Thanks for the support guys heart heart.

* * *

Prentiss felt a lot more at ease not being alone through the experience than she thought would be. She hadn't been sure how Reid was going to react, but he seemed to be fascinated. He held her hand, and encouraged her while asking the doctors and nurses a lot of questions when he had the chance to. It had been hours and she was getting tired when she finally heard the first cries of her son's life. She felt Reid kiss her forehead as the nurse laid the baby on her chest. The look of sheer amazement on his face was priceless.

She was holding back tears since she had heard his first cries. A part of it didn't seem real yet, this was their son. Reid was there to witness him coming into the world. She was sure she was going to wake up at any moment alone in her flat with the baby kicking up a storm. She looked at Reid, she'd never seen him so happy before it was all almost too much for her.

"He's perfect," he whispered. "He looks so much like you."

She laughed. "He has my nose, and dark hair Spencer, the rest is all you."

She stared at the little boy in amazement, he was really there. He was breathing and he was healthy from what she could see. Reid was with her, where he should have been from the start. Her son already had a head of dark hair but he looked just how she imagined Reid had when he was a baby. She hoped that she would get to see baby pictures of him when they got home. She was trying to keep her emotions in cheque; she'd never been so happy before.

"I don't see it. Happy birthday Ewan," he whispered.

She couldn't help but laugh. "It's nice to see the not genius side of you Spencer. Yes happy birthday Ewan, mommy and daddy love you so much our little angel, don't you ever forget that."

"Daddy? Wow," Reid marvelled.

It was only then that it hit him that he was really someone's father. Until she said it everything had seemed abstract and almost unreal. He had a son, a perfect little boy who was going to need help learning about the world around him, he was going to help to teach him and shape him into an adult. He never been so happy and terrified before. He and Prentiss were going to be forever linked as a result of this new life. As scared as he was he knew he could be a good father with her help. He could only stare at the moments old baby in her arms in amazement, they had created him together and now they were going to be embarking on a journey together. He kissed Prentiss' forehead softly, which opened the floodgates of her emotions, while Reid tried comfort her, not fully understand the tears came from happiness instead of pain.

"Emily, I'm sorry but we need to give him a bath and run a few test," the nurse told her.

She nodded and let the nurse do her job as much as she didn't want to let him go. Now that he had arrived all she wanted to do was protect him from the world she knew. Her perfect little boy was born and she had never been so happy, despite her tears. He was trying to comfort her but he didn't know what to do other than to hold her. She kissed his cheek softly and curled into his embrace. She couldn't believe she thought she could do this alone.

She could tell that Reid was fascinated by the baby, and wished there was some way he could not miss any part of his life. They watched the nurse pick him up to examine him. They didn't say anything while the nurse was gone. She was able to get her emotions under control but what they were both thinking was heavy in the air. The nurse came back into the room with the newborn, who was now clean and swaddled in a hospital blanket. She smiled at the sleeping baby still amazed he was really there.

"You'll be happy to know he's a very healthy boy," the nurse told them. "He's five pounds two ounces, and nineteen inches long, he's got great reflexes and his hearing is perfect. I'll give you some time to get to know him, if you need anything just press the call button. Congratulations, he'll be home with you before you know it."

"Thank you," Prentiss said glad to have him back in her arms she rocked him in her arms for a few long minutes, marveling at the tiny life she finally got to meet. "Spencer do you want to hold him?"

"Yes, but you look so happy, I can wait," he assured her.

She smiled. "Your Daddy is a good man, and I want you to grow up to be just like him, yes I do, Ewan." She kissed his cheek softly. "Now I bet you want some bonding time with your Daddy don't you?"

Reid took the newborn in his arms and Prentiss' breath hitched she didn't want to start crying again. He looked so happy to have the their son in his arms. He lit up upon holding his son, and it was something she didn't think she'd get the chance to see and she couldn't be happier that she had. She knew he would have to miss some parts of his young life and she felt guilty that he would. She knew she would spend the rest of their lives making it up to them both.

"Emily, I can't believe he's real, that he's here," he gushed. "He's amazing, you're amazing. I didn't think it was possible to love anything so much."

She smiled, tears still in her eyes. "I know Spencer, and I…" she trailed off not sure she would ever find the words to make it up to her.

"Let's not talk about that anymore, okay? Let's focus on Ewan."

"I like the sound of that."

Seeing how quickly Reid was adjusting to his son she realised how selfish she'd been to keep her secret for so long. She didn't want to dwell on it since they seemed to have moved on but a part of her would always wonder what it would have been like to have him beside her every step of the way. She knew she was going to cherish the moments she got with her family even more but wished she could go back in time and make it all happen differently. She was determined to focus on the time they were going to have together and not dwell on the time they were going to lose. They would be learning so much until he went home, she hoped it would help distract her from the truth that loomed over them all. Everything would need to be put on pause for a few weeks and there was nothing they could do to change it.

Notes: I know some of you are mad I'm making Reid miss some time, it's part of my original plot bunny so please bear with me. Let me know what you're thinking, and let's hope that the ff downtime is done. hearts all


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Castles In The Air  
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)  
Disclaimer: I'm still an uber poor barista, I borrowed these characters from their creator, networks, writers, actors and actresses who make them come to life. I will return them unharmed and will remain just a skint a result.  
Summary: Reid goes to London to surprise Prentiss, but it's him who's in for the surprise (the kind which grows for forty weeks).  
Notes: Reid goes home. I added some stuff with his mom just to make the reason he's leaving despite not really wanting to a little stronger. I hope everything's back to normal for everyone after yesterday's downtime. Gosh we're at the half way mark already, how does that happen?

* * *

Reid couldn't believe that his vacation was really over and he was going to have to go home. The past week had been both amazing and surreal. As much as he wanted to stay, he knew he couldn't but that didn't make it any easier for him. Getting to care for his newborn son had been one of the most amazing things he'd ever done. He knew it was only going to be a few weeks but he felt like it could be a life time. He didn't want to miss anything in Ewan's life. He also knew it was going to difficult to keep the news from the people who mattered most to him, but he understood why she wanted to tell everyone herself.

"Spencer I'm already counting down the days," Prentiss told him, laying her forehead on his.

"Me too," he agreed, with a long sigh.

They both knew that it wasn't going to be easy, but neither of them expected it to be so hard. After a week with their son they were already into a comfortable routine together. Prentiss always knew that Reid would be able to pick up on how to be a parent, but she never thought he would be so good at it. He didn't sleep through the baby's cries, and would often bring the newborn to her when he would need to nurse in the middle of then, and then return him to the bassinette with a clean diaper. He took great joy in being involved in his son's life. She knew that things were going to be different when they were home, and he was back at work, but she wanted the fantasy of this reality just a little while longer.

"Are you sure you can't stay longer?" she asked him as he put the last of his shirts into his suitcase.

"I wish I could, Emily, you know that," he told her. "I can't do that to my mom she's too fragile, six weeks is a long time to postpone a visit."

She kissed his cheek softly. "I'm sorry. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, but we knew this was going to have to happen." He ran his fingers along her cheek, and he could see the heartache in her eyes, which he was sure was mirrored in his own.

She went to hug him when Ewan began to cry. She went into the bedroom where he was sleeping in his bassinette. She picked him up and changed his diaper before giving him to Reid. She could tell he was fighting tears and she hated that she had caused him this much pain. She hoped that she would somehow be able to make it up to him. Although she was still amazed he'd forgiven her at all, she realised she was incredibly lucky and she planned on showing him how much it meant to her for the rest of their lives.

"It's only a few weeks in his whole life," Prentiss whispered.

"I know you're right Emily, but it's still difficult," he explained.

"I know, Spencer. I know." She reached over and cupped his cheek. "I'm so sorry."

"We can't change anything now. I have to get to the airport."

She nodded and bundled the baby up before putting him in his portable carseat, and going out to the car. He had an extra suitcase to bring home, packed with her belongings to help save money shipping what she wanted to bring home. They drove to the airport her hand clutching his, wishing she wouldn't have to let him go. As much as she understood his responsibilities at home it didn't make it any easier for either of them. She could easily have helped him to pay for his mother's care but his visits were important too and she couldn't force him to forgo that because she would miss him too much. She also knew she wanted to tell their extended family the truth to their faces and his extending his visit and cancelling plans with his mother would raise too many questions.

She parked the car, and put Ewan in the sling she'd bought, she hadn't wanted to waste money on things that she wouldn't be able to bring overseas, so they had only bought the minimums. She hadn't expected to like the sling as much as she did, she thought her body would want to heal after the pregnancy. She was perfectly at ease with the item, and she liked the idea of having Ewan close. She could even nurse privately if she needed to and knew it was going to be an item she'd get a lot of use from. Ewan seemed to settle best he was being held or was in the sling close to a warm body and listening to a comforting heartbeat. She had waited too long for this to worry about what others might say about her choices with him.

The couple were standing outside the international departure area together. She was still emotional, and when Reid went to wipe her tears, the floodgates opened. He comforted her as best he could, which she was thankful for but she didn't want him to leave. She knew it had been her choices that had led to this, but she never thought anything could be so hard.

"Spencer this is too hard," she whispered.

"I know," he assured her then kissing her cheek. "It's only a few weeks and then you'll be home."

She nodded, the tears subsiding. "I know, and you need to get ready for us to get there."

"Exactly, this isn't easy but it's what we need to do."

"I know."

"I'll miss you both so much," he told her then touching Ewan's hairline. "We'll be together before you know it Ewan."

"I wish there was another way."

"I know, me too." He kissed her cheek softly. "I'm trying not to focus on that, we can't change anything now and there's no point dwelling on it. I'll be so happy when you come home."

"Me too," she told him kissing his lips. "Are you sure you can't stay longer?"

"I'm sorry Emily but I need to go home."

"I know, I do logically," she reasoned.

"It's okay Emily, it's going to be fine."

"I'm the one who should be reassuring you Spencer."

"Shh," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "If we can survive this we can make through anything."

"I know you're right."

She hugged being careful about the sleeping baby that was between them. She ran her fingers through his hair, fighting to keep another round of tears at bay. She knew that she was going to be going home with Ewan before she knew it, and that he was right this would make what they already shared even stronger, but she wanted nothing more than to board the plane with him. She then felt the baby move, and knew she was doing this to keep him healthy. She didn't want him to get sick she had fought too hard to have him in her life.

"I love you," Reid whispered, pulling himself from her, hiding his own tears.

"We love you too," she murmured letting him go.

She watched him go through the doors, and knew he would not be coming back. She looked at Ewan who was staring up at her, sucking on his soother. She ran her fingers along his dark hairline. She took a deep breath and realised she had it easier than Reid had. She didn't have to leave Ewan behind for even a moment. She knew that she could do it alone for the next few weeks, but couldn't believe she had once thought she wanted to it all on her own. She left the airport and drove to her flat. After laying Ewan down she started to pack, determined to leave as soon as possible.

Notes: I know it's rough that he's leaving but it was part of the idea I had. I hope you're not too mad.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Castles In The Air  
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)  
Disclaimer: I'm still an uber poor barista, I borrowed these characters from their creator, networks, writers, actors and actresses who make them come to life. I will return them unharmed and will remain just a skint a result.  
Summary: Reid goes to London to surprise Prentiss, but it's him who's in for the surprise (the kind which grows for forty weeks).  
Notes: Prentiss returns home yay! I didn't want to draw this out. This was part of the original write, but I had to split it up into two parts cause I didn't feel like enough of the team had been involved. Thanks as always for the support guys!

* * *

Prentiss was happy to finally be on her way home, she had gone from the airport to where she used to work without too much trouble. Other than needing to stop to get her visitor's pass it had been so familiar for her to go into the building and go up the floor where she used to work. The moment the doors of the elevator opened a sense of elation came over her, she knew she was one step closer to being home. She was happy that they weren't out on a case and that she would be able to surprise Reid. She had Ewan in his sling where he was napping and she had his diaper bag slung over her shoulder.

She scanned the area noticing both Jennifer Jareau and Derek Morgan were at their desks clearly working on paper. Even Penelope Garcia was in the bullpen instead of her office at Morgan's desk and the two of them were engrossed in a conversation. Everyone in the bullpen area looked up, jaws dropping when they realised not only who was there but also the fact there was clearly a sleeping infant within the sling she was wearing. She smiled uncertainly not sure how this was going to go.

Reid's face lit up when he saw them standing there. He wasn't expecting them for another four weeks. He stood up and went over to them she moved to kiss him softly not caring how embarrassed he might be, she was happy to see him and she was sick of keeping secrets from her friends, she could only hope that they would be happy for her and understand why she'd made the choices she had. She looked up toward the offices and hoped that David Rossi and Aaron Hotchner would soon join them.

"Emily," he said, not needing to say anything more, he was clearly worried about her being there so soon.

"I checked with the doctor before we booked the flight," she assured him. "His immune system is strong, and since we're staying she said it was fine."

"Doctor Reid, you naughty, naughty, boy," Penelope Garcia scolded. "How and why did you not tell us about this development?"

"I asked him not to," Prentiss explained. "I wanted you all to find out about him when you met him for the first time." The baby made a tiny whimpering sound, and she moved the blanket that was covering him. "I want you all to meet our son."

"You really have been a naughty boy kid," said Derek Morgan. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"It wasn't something I needed to share until now."

The baby began to fuss. "I think someone knows his Daddy is near," Prentiss said taking the infant from the sling and passing him to Reid. "He missed you."

"I missed him too," he told her.

A huge smile spread across his face as he took the baby. He was very gentle, but looked much more comfortable than anyone on the team expected him to be. He looked at his son who was staring up at him. He knew that newborns didn't smile but he was sure that Ewan was doing just that. Reid ran his fingers along the newborn's cheeks tenderly, taking in just how much his son had changed in two weeks.

"Everyone this is little Ewan James Spencer Reid," Prentiss told the friends who were like family to her.

Reid rocked him in his arms. "I missed you so much, Ewan" he told the newborn who cooed happily. "I thought we had agreed to hyphenate his last name?"

"You talked, I listened I never agreed to anything. Ewan prefers how Ewan Reid sounds."

The baby yawned as Reid cradled him. "Thank you for giving him my name Emily. I've got you big guy, you'll be home soon."

"How about we talk about this later? I'm sure Ewan wants to meet all of his aunt and uncles."

"He's a poogie little Reid!" cooed Penelope Garcia, wanting to hold him but seeing how happy Reid was to have the infant in his arms she couldn't separate them yet.

"Spencer thinks he looks more like me," Prentiss explained.

"Honey I think you need your genius peepers checked, that adorable little cherub is all you boy wonder. If he wasn't all swaddled up in his blankie I bet he has crazy longer fingers too."

"He does."

"Hmm, I wonder if he got his daddy's brain too."

"It will be a long time before we know that, and intelligence is not considered to be genetic. I think I would be happier and would certainly be easier for Ewan if he got Emily's brain," Reid explained.

"Even though he'll have both of his parents and all of his aunts and uncles to support him?" asked Garcia.

He nodded. "That could help but I still don't want him to have genius level intelligence and miss his childhood like I did."

"Spoken like a true parent," JJ told him. "He does look just like you Spence. He's so handsome." She ran her finger along his cheek a huge grin starting across her face. "You must be so happy, Emily."

"We both are and we're happy to be home."

"You're staying for sure?" Garcia asked.

"Yes, I should have never left in the first place. I got scared and ran away. Spencer's already missed too much and we can't ask his mother to move so that I can continue to work overseas."

"What are you going to do?"

Prentiss shrugged, "for now I kind of like the idea of focusing on being a mom."

Garcia hugged her tightly. "And you're gonna be such a great mom EP."

"Thank you PG."

"You're gonna be a great dad too Boy Wonder, look at you with that sweet little cherub. You're like a cartoon but instead of stink lines there's hearts radiating off of you."

Reid laughed nervously. "How could I not love my son?"

"Okay my heart is exploding right now sweetheart. I'm so happy for both of you."

"Thank you Penelope," he told her rocking the baby in his arms.

Prentiss was thrilled to be home, and to see that her family was happy for the couple. She knew that she had made the right choice coming back. Ewan was going to have a small extended family, despite the fact neither of them had siblings. She could tell just how much they already loved him. She looked up toward the offices hoping the last two members of the team would soon join them.

Notes: So that's the first part with the team, what did you think?


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Castles In The Air  
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)  
Disclaimer: I'm still an uber poor barista, I borrowed these characters from their creator, networks, writers, actors and actresses who make them come to life. I will return them unharmed and will remain just a skint a result.  
Summary: Reid goes to London to surprise Prentiss, but it's him who's in for the surprise (the kind which grows for forty weeks).  
Notes: Part two of meeting the team is upon us. It's so nice to be writing in this fandom, it's been sooo long hopefully my muse will throw me another bone soon hehe...

* * *

Reid was happy to be holding his son in his arms again. He knew that eventually he'd have to let someone else hold him and he wanted to cherish the moment, it felt like a lifetime since he'd held him. He still couldn't believe she had arrived early, and he had only missed about two weeks of Ewan's life. He didn't want to dwell on what he had been forced to miss, he needed to focus on the gift he'd been given. He looked up toward the offices and finally saw the door open and the last two members of the team joined them.

"Who's this little guy?" Rossi asked.

"We named him Ewan," Reid replied.

"I told you there was something more than friendship there," Rossi told Hotch with a knowing smile.

"I'll get you those cigars next week," Hotch assured his friend and co-worker. "Congratulations, both of you." He then told the couple.

"Thank you," Prentiss replied with a smile.

"Reid why don't you take the rest of the day off?" offered Hotch.

"Thank you Hotch. If something comes up you can call me back."

"I think we'll be okay."

"You're not leaving before I get a chance to cuddle this little guy," Garcia warned them. "Once I can tear him away from his Daddy."

Reid looked up at the tech and sighed softly. He once again ran his finger along his son's cheek then passed him to Garcia. Ewan let out a few small uncertain sobs. Since he had been born there had only been two people in his life, and Reid wondered if it might stressful for the newborn to meet so many new people, even if they were his family. He didn't want to take him back from her but he also didn't want the newborn to be scared or upset.

"It's okay, Ewan," Reid assured the baby, running his fingers along Ewan's cheek to reassure him. "That's your Aunt Penelope."

"It's Auntie Penny the world famous fairy godmother. I've got you sweet little man," Garcia assured him and the newborn began to settle as she rocked him.

"He's not used to being held by anyone else," Prentiss explained.

"It's all good, oh he's so perfect. Yes you are little man. You're a perfect little angel on earth, just like your cousin Henry. I never want to put you down, no I don't you're a little snuggly bug aren't you?"

Prentiss laughed. "Yes he is I guess I spoil him a little."

"I don't think that'll spoil him." She touched the baby's nose. "That's not spoiling you little man, it's just your mom and dad are so happy to have their perfect little man. Everyone here is gonna want to hold you and say hi to you, but you don't need to be afraid, this is your family and everyone loves you so much. Yes, we do, we do." She gushed.

"You need to stop, my emotions are still all over the place PG," Prentiss warned her friend who was quiet the rest of the time she held the baby.

Garcia nodded. "Of course, does Aunt JJ want to hold this little cherub next?" JJ's face lit up and she gave JJ the newborn, who didn't fuss as much this time.

"Thank you, it's been too long since I've been able to hold such a little guy. We'll also have to set up a time for Henry to meet his new cousin," JJ said.

"I'd like that a lot," Prentiss agreed. "It feels amazing to be home."

"Don't tell me home is that museum pretty boy calls a house," Derek Morgan groaned. "The little man is gonna start wanting to explore and I'm pretty sure old books are not something he should be chewing on."

"I baby-proofed everything," Reid assured his friends. "There's lots of room, and there's a park down the street we can walk to. I don't think my place is a horrible space to bring up a child."

"I can find you something great kid."

"I don't want to move again for a little while," Prentiss told Morgan. "Thank you, if we decide we need something else we'll talk to you."

"All right, good. Wow he really is a little Reid, isn't he?" The baby had gotten his hands out of the blanket.

"I still don't see it," Reid sighed trying to fix the blanket.

"He doesn't like to be swaddled, Spencer, don't bother to fix it, he's falling asleep there's not need to upset him."

"All right," he agreed.

"Does he need to be put down for his nap?" JJ asked, also having to stop herself from fixing the blankets for the newborn.

"It's okay for him to sleep in someone's arms. I haven't really very strict with a schedule since I knew he'd need to be adjusted once we came home."

Garcia looked at the baby and her face lit up. "Oh, he's sleeping, he looks even more like an angel. Derek, I want one."

Morgan shook his head. "Uh, no don't you be looking at me Baby Girl I love you but I'm not ready to be a baby daddy."

"But think of how cute our mocha babies would be."

He laughed. "Woman you got baby fever somethin' terrible."

"It can't be avoided with that sweet little man in our mist."

"Women and babies," chuckled Rossi watching the two women swooning over the baby. "He's perfect Emily."

"Spencer helped."

"I think we're all still processing that fact. Do you need anything for him? I can get my credit card."

"I think I got everything," Reid assured the senior agent. "Thank you though."

"All right, if you think of anything, anything at all please call me."

"Thank you," Prentiss told him.

"I'm sure you both want to get this little guy home he's had a long day already," Hotch explained. "As welcome as you are here Emily."

She nodded. "We should get home, and let you get back to work, call if you want to come over."

Everyone hugged the couple and gave the baby a few last kisses before she put him back into the sling. They went out to the car, and Prentiss smiled seeing the brand new car seat in there, she was sure that there was a stroller in the trunk as well. It was exactly what she would have chosen and she was excited to see the apartment. Prentiss was glad that Reid had gotten the rest of the day off, she wanted to get settled back in with him there. For the first time in a long she actually felt like she was actually going home.

Notes: I hope you liked it, wanted show the rest of the team. Not sure why I didn't write Blake in there, maybe she hadn't been cast yet when I started to write it? Just noticed it this second haha... Let me know what you think.


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Castles In The Air  
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)  
Disclaimer: I'm still an uber poor barista, I borrowed these characters from their creator, networks, writers, actors and actresses who make them come to life. I will return them unharmed and will remain just a skint a result.  
Summary: Reid goes to London to surprise Prentiss, but it's him who's in for the surprise (the kind which grows for forty weeks).  
Notes: Reid and Prentiss bring Ewan home. It's funny this is the first fic I've written Reid having a son first, I clearly started this when I was being accused of being a misandrist. I'm glad everyone enjoyed Ewan meeting with the team...

* * *

Prentiss followed Reid into his apartment, he was holding Ewan, who was asleep, in his car seat as they went inside, surprised to see some of the shelves were cleared. He had clearly taken a lot of time to make room for them in his life. She felt like she was coming home, which surprised her since it had been so long since she had felt that way about anywhere.

"I hope I made enough room for you," he told her.

"It'll be fine Spencer," she assured him. "Right now I'm more interested in getting Ewan settled."

"Oh, sure. I made room in the bedroom for his bassinette from home for now, I assume you still want him close."

"Thank you, just until he's a little bigger."

"Do you want to see what I did with the spare room?"

She nodded, she knew that he kept that room a certain way for if his mother ever came to visit. They went toward the spare room. There was a name plate with Ewan's name in primary colours on the door, and her jaw dropped when he opened the door. It was so different from the last time she had seen it. Instead of having a sterile looking neutral theme that came straight out of the seventies it was now brightly coloured with a numbers, letters, and shapes theme to it. The furniture was sturdy green painted wood, there was crib, dresser with a changing table on top, book shelf, rocking chair, and even a matching toy chest waiting to be filled with his toys.

The walls were painted a warm shade of sky blue, the boarder was a reoccurring alphabet with the letters in bright red, green, yellow, and blue, and there were decals of shapes all over the place. The crib set was dark blue with various coloured numbers scarred all over it. It was exactly what she would have pictured and chosen herself. The only toy in the room was an old looking brown teddy bear sat in the corner of the crib.

"This is amazing Spencer," Prentiss cooed. "Ewan is going to love it. How did you get this done?"

"I rarely sleep so when I was home instead of reading I worked on this. I hoped you would like it."

"I love it."

"I still have some finishing touches to do, I don't have the mobile hung, and I haven't cleaned out the closet yet."

"It's fine, I can't believe you got this done so quickly. Was this yours?" she asked picking up the bear.

"It was, my grandmother got it for me I thought I had lost it, but when I told my mother about Ewan she pulled it out of her hope chest, she said when I grew out of it she took it so she could give to my first son."

"That's so sweet. Will she want to meet him?"

"She does but she says she'll wait until it's safe for him to travel. She's excited to meet you as well. She wants me to write about him now that he's home, and to send lots of pictures."

"We can do that. I can't wait to show him his room."

"He needs his rest, he has a lot of growing to do, and he had a big afternoon."

"I know. I'm so glad he got to meet his family." She then leaned in and kissed him softly. "I missed you Spencer. I missed being here I forgot how comfortable I was here."

"How about you get comfortable in the living room, and I'll get dinner started for us while Ewan naps."

"Sure."

She carefully took Ewan out of the car seat, and laid him down in the swing Reid had set up for him. She was amazed that he had been able to get everything that he would need so quickly. She sat down in the living room while Reid went into the kitchen preparing their meal. She heard him rustling around in the kitchen for a few minutes. He then joined her on the couch within moments her lips were all over his, she hadn't realised just how much she'd missed him. Just as they got comfortable the baby began to whimper.

"He's probably hungry," Reid reasoned, getting up and picking up the baby carefully.

"You're so good with him," she told him, she loved seeing them together.

Prentiss smiled as he handed her the infant to nurse. When he was done she burped him gently and then Reid took him back, changing his diaper, and changing him into a slightly warmer sleeper. Prentiss couldn't get over how good he was with the baby. She wondered just how many books he'd read. There was a point where she wasn't sure she would get to see him like this, and now she was wishing she would have stayed to see him react through the whole pregnancy.

"Is it bad if he falls asleep in my arms?" Reid asked. "I have read conflicting information."

Prentiss laughed. "I don't believe babies get spoiled when they're held. I think they should get as much love as they can." She snapped a picture of the two of them.

Reid was grinning as he looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms. He was amazed that he had been giving this chance. There was a time he thought he hadn't wanted a family, and he already couldn't imagine his life without his son in it. He had even thought about what it might be like for Ewan to have a sibling one day. After Prentiss had left he never thought there would be a day where they could be together again, and he certainly never expected her to have his child. As much as he had thought he'd learned about love he realised he still had a lot to learn after becoming a parent.

The couple didn't stay up long knowing that they would be up many times during the night while the baby adjusted to his new time zone. For the first time in a long time they were both able to fall quickly into a peaceful sleep, knowing that they had found each other again. Prentiss was happy to be home, and was excited to see where things lead with Reid and Ewan. Reid was relieved that he no longer had to lie to his family and that he was going to get the chance to be a dad to his son. They knew it was only the beginning of the journey but they were on the right path together.

Notes: Well that was that, the next part with with the ambassador, then Diana then things wrap up in part thirteen. Let me know what you're thinking heart.


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Castles In The Air  
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)  
Disclaimer: I'm still an uber poor barista, I borrowed these characters from their creator, networks, writers, actors and actresses who make them come to life. I will return them unharmed and will remain just a skint a result.  
Summary: Reid goes to London to surprise Prentiss, but it's him who's in for the surprise (the kind which grows for forty weeks).  
Notes: The ambassador meets her grandson. Wow starting to wind down, glad you all are enjoying this.

* * *

Elizabeth Prentiss looked around the apartment not saying a word, looking like Mary Poppins when she first arrived at the Banks household. Prentiss was already regretting having invited her over, she knew they should have gone to her. This wasn't the apartment she saw her daughter and grandson living in. She wanted her mother to have a relationship with Ewan but she wondered if there was any chance that the family could have anything normal in their lives.

"It's small," the ambassador finally sighed.

"It works for now," Prentiss assured her. "We feel at home here."

"There's isn't any outdoor space, Emily, eventually he's going to grow."

"If I lived in a north facing unit you could see the park it's not quite a block away," Reid explained. "I've researched the schools in the area and they are good."

The ambassador laughed. "Doctor Reid my grandson won't be attending public school. I've already put money aside for that. Emily I don't want to hear you argue please, I want to give a good education to my grandson."

"Mother," sighed Prentiss.

"Emily please, I've already made some inquiries. There are women who start looking into these options while they are trying to get pregnant, which is distasteful if you ask me. With Doctor Reid's academic history Ewan is a great candidate for any school."

"There's correlation between intelligence and genetics, mother. He's not even a month old, he's not a candidate for anything."

"I've had two schools approach me Emily we have options. We don't need to make the choice today, but it's a good option. If he excels like his father he'll have the resources he'll need."

"I don't want to be devil's advocate here Emily," Reid interjected. "But a private school would be able to give him a better balance than I had growing up. You knoow I missed a lot of the social aspects of school because of how quickly I excelled. All the school could do was test me to be sure I had in fact learned what they thought I did and move me forward. If he isn't like me the class sizes would be much smaller and if he began to struggle there would be much more help for him. I think it would be a great opportunity for him."

"Can we talk about this some other time, mother?" Prentiss asked.

"Of course Emily but I do want to do this for him."

Prentiss was about to say something else when she heard soft cries coming from the bedroom. She went in and picked Ewan up. She changed his diaper and then nursed him before going into the living room where Reid and her mother seemed to be having an intense conversation about how he had grown up. The ambassador seemed to be listening to Reid and Prentiss was starting to feel a little more at ease about everything. She knew that her mother only wanted what was best for the baby and would seriously consider her offer.

"Mother, would you like to hold him?" she asked, smiling.

"Oh, he's beautiful Emily," the ambassador told her daughter, then taking her grandson in her arms. "He takes after his father doesn't he?"

"Despite what Spencer says, yes."

"Emily I don't think I've ever seen you so happy."

Prentiss was surprised to hear her mother say that. "I am happy I finally have a perfect little boy, and a man who's good for me."

"What about your career?"

She shrugged. "This is nice too. I'll always be proud of what I was able to accomplish, but I like the idea of helping to teach Ewan. I've never been so conflicted."

"I realise I haven't said this enough, but I support your choices Emily."

"Thank you Mom."

The two women looked around for Reid who had gone into the kitchen, clearly wanting to give them a moment. He came back out a few minute later with a small plate with cheese and crackers on it. He put it down where everyone could reach. Both women smiled at him, thankful for the snack. They couldn't help but laugh when they both went for the same kind of cheese and crackers. Despite all of their differences they still had a lot in common.

"Would you be opposed to a late baby shower?" the ambassador asked.

"We have everything we need already, but thank you." Prentiss realised that he mother seemed disappointed. "Why don't you plan his baptism? I thought it would be nice to baptise him at the church where I was."

"Oh, Emily that sounds perfect! If anyone asks why you didn't have a shower I'll remind them you were overseas, although I might have some questions to answer as to why you're not yet married."

"I didn't want to get married while pregnant, and now that he's here I want him to be a part of our wedding. If they don't understand that I would rather they not celebrate our son with us."

The ambassador nodded. "All right Emily."

She was going to say something else but got distracted by her grandson who was in her arms making soft cooing sounds. She ran her fingers along his cheek, and a smile spread across her face. Prentiss had never seen her mother like that, but it was a side of her she liked. She never thought that this would bring them closer together, but it looked like it could. She curled up to Reid who kissed her forehead. She sighed happily glad that he was so comfortable with her.

"I guess we need to narrow down who we want as his godparents," Prentiss told him.

"Yes, we will," he agreed.

"Will your mother be in attendance?" the ambassador asked.

"I don't believe so, she doesn't travel well I'm afraid."

"All right it must be difficult for her to be so far away."

"It's a challenge but I don't want to take her from her home again. We're planning a trip soon and if she wants to be closer to us she knows I'll make it happen, but I won't force her."

"You're a good son, and I know you'll be a good father too."

Prentiss was surprised that her mother was so accepting of her new relationship. She was sure she would think Reid was too young and that she had made a mistake by getting pregnant, but the whole experience was fairly pleasant. She liked this side of her mother, and hoped that Ewan would be able to grow up being close to his grandmother. The afternoon was more pleasant than she thought it could be and she was actually looking forward to her mother's next visit.

Notes: Let me know what you're thinking. hearts to all of you have taken the time to read this it means a lot to me.


	12. Chapter 12

Title: Castles In The Air  
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)  
Disclaimer: I'm still an uber poor barista, I borrowed these characters from their creator, networks, writers, actors and actresses who make them come to life. I will return them unharmed and will remain just a skint a result.  
Summary: Reid goes to London to surprise Prentiss, but it's him who's in for the surprise (the kind which grows for forty weeks).  
Notes: Diana meets her grandson. I had an epic friday the thirteenth today, so happies would be soooo amazing today. Just broken things, nothing bad, I knew when we saw one car in the ditch and one flipped on its roof on the way in that it was gonna be hinky. Thanks the gods it was just broken things and crazy folks to deal with tho nothing too scary.

* * *

Reid knocked on the door to his mother's room before entering. She smiled at him it had been a while since she'd seen him. He looked more at ease than the past few times she had seen him and she knew who was responsible for that. Although it was going to be the first time she was going to meet her daughter in law she felt like she already knew the woman from her son's letters.

"How are you feeling Mom?" he asked her.

"Good, Spencer, where's Emily?" she replied.

"She's feeding Ewan, the nurses let her have some privacy in the nurse's station. She'll be along in a moment."

"All right, today's a good day Spencer."

"I never said anything."

"You don't have to."

She was about to say something else when Prentiss entered the room holding the baby. Diana was glad to finally meet them both. She could tell the other woman was nervous and wanted to put her at ease. They both knew that meeting the parents was difficult, especially with Diana being sick, but she was having a good day and she had been looking forward to meeting the woman her son had been gushing about for so long.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Emily," Diana told her with a smiled.

"Thank you it's nice to meet you as well," Prentiss assured her.

"Don't be nervous, today's a good day Emily. Let's focus on that sweet little boy in your arms."

She went to give the baby to his grandmother but Ewan was curled up to Prentiss. "He's awake, he's just playing shy," Prentiss assured her. "Your grandmother has been waiting to meet you little man."

"I'd like him to call me Nana, if that's all right."

"That's fine, Ewan meet your nana." She then put the baby in her arms he opened his mouth, and everyone was sure he was going to start to scream but instead he yawned.

"Oh he looks just like Spencer, he's perfect. What a beautiful little boy you must be so happy Emily."

She nodded. "I was starting to think I wouldn't get the chance but I'm glad we did even if getting to this point was less than ideal."

"It's the next steps that matter most."

"You're right, thank you. Don't worry if he falls asleep. He likes to be held but he's a deep sleeper so you can lay him down whenever you feel comfortable."

"Spencer was the same way he liked a warm touch and a heartbeat. He also used to fall asleep while I was nursing him."

Prentiss smiled. "Ewan hasn't done that, he takes food very seriously."

"That's good, he really is beautiful Emily, what a gift."

"We're very blessed and thrilled to have him in our lives."

"I can see that, you both deserve all the happiness he'll bring you."

Prentiss nodded and curled into Reid, who wrapped his arm around her waist. Diana just smiled then looked at her grandson again. Prentiss and Reid smiled at each other, still amazed they were given this chance. Reid was glad his mother was so happy, he'd been nervous about the meeting since they had booked the trip. It had always been hard for him to introduce his mother to people in the past.

"I'm going to see if we can take you out for lunch, Mom," Reid told her.

"Thank you Spencer," she replied, with a smile.

A few second after he left the room Ewan began to fuss. Diana tried to soothe him but the fussing soon turned into a full crying. Prentiss went through the diaper bag and took out the wipes and fresh diapers before taking him. She laid him down on a blanket to change his diaper not wanting to ask Diana to do it. She then put his soother in his mouth and he calmed down.

"You're a natural," Diana told her.

"I've waited a long time for this," she explained kissing Ewan's cheek softly. "Do you have any pictures of Spencer when he was this age?"

She got up and went into her closet and took out a box. When she opened it there were quite a few photo albums inside. Diana took the baby while Prentiss looked through the albums, amazed by how much Ewan looked like his father. He didn't often talk about his childhood and it was nice to see there were parts of it that were normal for lack of a better word. The pictures from before his father left showed a very normal and happy family.

"William has always been complicated. Spencer's life would have been so much easier had he stayed. I know he worries about his own parenting because of what happened, but you're a good partner for him, he needed to find someone and I'm glad it's you."

"Thank you he's an amazing and I'm lucky to have him in my life. He had every reason to kick me out of it."

"He loves you Emily, and it's not easy for him to love."

"Do you think he's really forgiven me?"

"Of course I do, you wouldn't have that ring on your finger if he hadn't."

"I don't think I understand."

"Emily the moment he gave you that ring he was committed to you. He doesn't need a ceremony to prove that. He didn't need Ewan although he's more than happy he's here. He needed you to say yes, and that was it in his mind you are married."

"I had no idea."

"Sometimes he has trouble explaining his feelings, but you can help teach him how to get better at it. I was nervous when he first told me he was going to London I thought he was going to get his heart broken. But I can see you love him, and you won't hurt him again. Focus on the future you both have and everything else will fall into place, it won't always be easy but you have support."

"Thank you I feel even more blessed now."

Reid came back into the room smiling. "All right Mom, get your coat, we can go to lunch and the museum."

"That sounds wonderful Spencer."

Diana put Ewan's coat and shoes back on so they could all go out. She was looking forward to getting out for the afternoon, and getting to spend some time with her family. She knew she would cherish the time she got to spend with them. She was also glad that the couple seemed to understand that, and let her hold him and even took out his stroller for her to push through the museum instead of putting him in the sling. The afternoon was perfect and she was already looking forward to the next time they would visit her. As much as she wanted more time with her family she liked where she was it had grown to be her home and she didn't want to have to adjust somewhere else.

Notes: Soo... happies? please? hearts guyz happy friday the thirteenth! one more to go jinkies how did that happen?


	13. Chapter 13

Title: Castles In The Air  
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)  
Disclaimer: I'm still an uber poor barista, I borrowed these characters from their creator, networks, writers, actors and actresses who make them come to life. I will return them unharmed and will remain just a skint a result.  
Summary: Reid goes to London to surprise Prentiss, but it's him who's in for the surprise (the kind which grows for forty weeks).  
Notes: Wrapping things up. Thank you for taking this journey with me. I hope I'll have something written in this fandom again soon it's so much more chill than the one my muse is currently enjoying telling me about haha...

* * *

Reid and Prentiss were standing in their living room, staring at the gifts they'd received. They had just gotten in from Ewan's baptism. They knew her mother had invited a lot of people, but seeing the gifts in their small apartment put everything in perspective. Ewan was wide awake, so Reid put him in his swing and started it going. She sighed softly and wrapped her arm around her waist laying her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her too and watched Ewan for a moment before looking at the gifts for him again.

"Would it be considered rude to donate some of this?" Reid asked.

"I don't think so. I wasn't expecting this when my mom decided to help with the baptism. I should have known she'd go overboard."

He took her hand. "I know there were a lot of guests, but our friends were there she didn't question who we chose as his godparents. Let's focus on the positive. She did this out of love. We'll go through everything and decide what we need. So long as we thank everyone for the gifts what we do with them is our choice."

She nodded. "You're right Spencer, and she did listen to us when we asked for books instead of cards he's got a nice library started."

"He does. We're going to keep the books, and those are the more personal items, most of them are signed and many of them have inscriptions for him."

"There are people who are not so fortunate who could use some of the gifts I'll make my mother understand that. Spencer thank you for making this happen." She kissed his cheek softly. "I know that today wasn't easy for you."

"I wanted Garcia and Rossi to be able to tell everyone they're going to be his godparents. The service was very nice. I could have lived without being repeatedly asked what kind of doctor I was, and then listen to their shock as I explained my PhDs. There was a point I considered telling them I was a proctologist in hopes they would stop asking."

She laughed. "My mother's head would have exploded. You were amazing today I bet you got sick of all of the young Emily stories though."

"I thought it was fascinating, when I saw all those people I wasn't sure how many would have a real connection to you but everyone I met did."

"She knew who to invite that I'd want to see and who I would want Ewan to know as well. But you're in a completely different headspace right now."

He nodded. "Is that what our wedding is going to be like?"

"If we have it here, yes, is that not what you want?"

"I don't know. I hadn't thought about it before, I suppose I thought it would be small however but there are a lot of people who clearly care about you that should be there."

She took his hand and squeezed it. "I forget how different our lives were before we met. We don't have to decide today about the ceremony."

He nodded. "I know you're right, but I want you to have something that's special to you."

"It's not just about me Spencer." She kissed his cheek softly. "When it's time we'll do what's right for both of us, but I do want Ewan to be older before that happens."

"All right Emily. The ceremony isn't the important part to me."

"I know," she assured him. "And I love you for that."

He leaned toward her and kissed her softly. She wrapped her arms around him pulling him closer. They were just getting comfortable when Ewan began to cry. They both moved to get him, laughing as they did. She let him pick up the baby. She loved how he would light up every time he had their son in his arms. She couldn't believe there was a point she thought he wouldn't want to do this. She was already thinking about how perfect it would be if their second child was a girl. There were tears in her eyes as she watched him soothe the baby, telling him a story.

"You're amazing Spencer," she told him.

He looked at her perplexed. "I've read that talking to babies can help with their development. I know it's not reading but it's the story that always remembered from when I was younger," he explained.

"You don't even see it."

"I don't think I understand."

She kissed his cheek softly. "You don't need to but it makes me happier than I thought I could be. Sometimes I don't know why you forgave me when I deserved it the least."

"Love is never logical Emily and now not only do I love you but I love Ewan too. I never thought anyone would allow me to be a father."

"You're an amazing dad I never should have doubted that."

"That's not what I was saying."

She nodded. "I know you weren't but I still need to say it. You missed so much."

"We can't change that and we don't need to dwell on it. Next time I won't miss anything."

"Does that mean you want to have another baby?"

He smiled. "It was hard being an only child Emily. I'd like Ewan to have a sibling at some point."

"I want that too."

Ewan was starting to drift off to sleep again. "It's amazing to get to watch him learn and develop new skills every day."

"I know it is Spencer, you're sure he didn't need a diaper change or to be fed?"

"No, I think he might have wanted to be held to fall asleep, honestly."

She smiled. "It's fine Spencer, really, when he's older we'll teach him to fall asleep on his own. He had a very big day and if he needs some cuddling he should get it."

He nodded and kissed the baby's cheek softly. He was still amazed by everything that had happened. He never thought he'd be a father, and after she had gone to London he was sure he wouldn't find another relationship like he had with her. She understood him, and he trusted her like he had never trusted anyone before. It had been hard to forgive her, but it would have been harder to forget how important she was to him. He never thought he'd be so at ease being a parent, and he was sure knowing she was the mother was helping. Although he couldn't forget the past, he had moved forward to it from it and wanted to focus on the future; having a family as well someone to share his life with. It hadn't been easy for them to find what they shared but now that they had it neither wanted to let it go.

The End

Notes: I hope you liked this fic. I'm so glad I got this finished. I'm still on the fence about how I feel about it, but I'm happy I got it out there. Thank you so much for all the support on this, it means so much. Keep the happies coming. heart and hugz all who took the time to read this.


End file.
